Poaceae
Chusquea

Chusquea vulcanalis (Soderstr. & C.E.Calderón) L.G.Clark

First published in Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 74: 428 (1987)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Costa Rica to Panama. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 500-1000 cm long; 10-25 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; thick-walled, or solid. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Branch complement several; in a clump; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths glabrous; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 1 mm high. Culm-sheath blade triangular. Leaves 3-4 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1-0.3 cm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 6-19 cm long; 11-23 mm wide; coriaceous; dark green. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; linear; dense; 9-19 cm long; 1-2 cm wide. Panicle branches scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2-3 mm long; scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 6.2-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 6.2-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.6-1 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1.2-1.5 mm long; 0.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 0-1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or obscure. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 3.7-6.3 mm long; chartaceous; purple; 4-5 -veined; with unevenly spaced veins; scabrous; ciliolate on margins; acute; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 0.5 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 5-7.4 mm long; chartaceous; scabrous; ciliolate on margins; acute; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 1 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 5.7-6.8 mm long; coriaceous; purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 5.7-6.8 mm long; 4 -veined. Palea keels approximate. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; obovate; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 3.6-4.5 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; apex unappendaged.
Distribution
South America: Mesoamericana.
Reference
Bambuseae. Fl Costaric 1994.
[GB]

Sources

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0